Midgardian Magic (On hiatus!)
by 9mouse9
Summary: Midgard was a desolate and hopeless place. The air was stifling, the roads were dull, and the people...the people were interesting, to say the least - and maybe not in the best way. But Loki and Thor needed to navigate it; how else is one supposed to save their dying mother? In which a young Thor and Loki are on a mission.
1. the brothers arrive

_Chapter One: The Brothers Arrive_

_Word Count: 2,656_

"She's what?"

"She's dying."

"But she's _magic_! One of the most powerful beings in all of Asgard, and quite possibly the rest of the nine realms! She - she can't be dying!" Loki sputtered.

"She was poisoned," replied Odin gravely. "Not with the most powerful potion, but with one that worked swiftly. She's weak now and the only thing she could use her magic for was to find what the cure is."

"And it is…?" Loki prompted. Odin, like Thor, had a flair for the suspenseful and dramatic – Mother didn't have time for them to waste on theatrics! While Loki considered himself a great actor, he didn't waste his talent on wasting time.

"A plant that does not grow on Asgardian soil. It is found in only one realm – Midgard."

"You still haven't told us what the plant is," Thor pointed out.

Odin looked dramatically into the distance, and Loki couldn't help but roll his eyes. Only his father. "The plant is called Amanita Muscaria." Odin even _spoke_ dramatically, enunciating every vowel and consonant, sounding truly like a king.

"And you want us to get it. You can't use your magic or send someone else or anything." Loki recounted dryly.

"That is correct. I must be a good king to my people – I would never leave the throne at a time when my queen's life is in danger." The Allfather paused and took this time to look the brothers in the eyes. "It is you, my sons, whom I trust the most. I know you won't let me down, and someday, it will be one of you upon this very throne."

Loki knew that by _one of you,_ Odin meant Thor, but there was no point in commenting on this. Thor, while cocky, rash, and occasionally rather slow, would make a good king. He was charismatic and handsome, and the people already loved him. Besides, there was no time for wry remarks; they had a realm to get to.

Odin leaned back, and Loki knew this conversation was over. They were going, and that was that. Odin waved his hand, and two guards came to escort them to the Bifrost.

* * *

Loki figured he and Thor would stand out against the Midgardians, but when they arrived in the realm, it was even more painfully obvious than he'd expected.

Amongst the humans, they were practically glowing, and their clothes were much more regal. The streets were impossibly dull, especially in comparison to the shining roads of Asgard. The air was lacking in most everything aside from, perhaps, oxygen itself. This was not going to work if they didn't do something now.

"Come on, Thor, we need to - " Loki began, but when he turned to grab Thor's arm, his brother was already off charming a young woman further ahead.

Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes far into the back of his head and instead marched over. When he approached the woman, he plastered on a phony and forced smile and snatched Thor's arm. "Good afternoon! I hope you enjoyed your little chat, but my brother Th…eodore…and I are very late to an important meeting and I must borrow him for the remainder of the day."

"My name isn't - "

"Anything other than Theodore, yes, you're right, brother. Forgive him, he's a bit slow sometimes. Have a nice day, ma'am!" He said this all so quickly it sounded more like one word than multiple sentences.

Loki pushed Thor into the alley nearby when they were out of sight of the woman. "What were you thinking?" he hissed. "We already stand out so much, and then there you go flirting with the first person you see on the street."

Thor shrugged. "It wasn't flirting. And she didn't seem to notice anything besides."

"It doesn't matter – someone else might! Look, you can flirt with the common folk when you look like one of them, but for now, we need to blend in and find a library."

Thor sighed. "Okay, well, how do we 'blend in', to use your verbiage?"

"We…" Actually, Loki hadn't quite thought that bit through. His half-baked plan involved them procuring Midgardian garments at some point, but the matters of where and how, he'd barely considered. He could always try to glamour them, but that usually didn't work the way he wanted it to, and it would be temporary anyhow. Mother was teaching him magic, but his grip on that particular area was a tenuous one.

Mother. She was the reason they were doing all this anyway. _For Mother,_ he reminded himself. "Okay, Thor, listen up. This is what's going to happen."

The plan was as follows: Loki would attempt to glamour an outfit for the both of them, one that would probably only last for an hour and a half at most. In that ninety minutes, they were going to purchase some clothes that would last them for a day or two. Then, they'd look for a library (since Odin and Heimdall had failed to give them any _real_ information on where to find this plant thing) to find out more about Amanita Muscaria. They'd find the plant, gather it, and leave this puny, magic-less realm. It was a simple plan, right?

Loki concentrated on glamouring them – he focused on the shoddy outfits Midgardians seemed to wear, and felt the magic surging through his fingertips. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Thor looked like any other human – with ten times better skin, of course. He did the same thing for himself, and had to smile at his handiwork. For someone who had just gotten to Midgard, the outfits he conjured up didn't look half bad.

They walked out of the alley trying to look like they knew what they were doing or where they were going. They would have likely walked aimlessly for blocks if it weren't for the Midgardian who bumped into them from behind, his nose in a book.

"Oh! Pardon me, sirs," he said awkwardly.

"It's quite alright," said Thor. "But I don't suppose you could help us with something?"

"Of course, sir," said the young man. "What is it you need?" He inserted a bookmark into his book to keep his place, then closed it and looked up at them.

"My brother…"

Loki tried to think of a name on the spot. "Lucius…"

"What's the matter, aren't you sure?" The man laughed softly.

"Well, we are not of this realm and we need to know where your nearest clothing store is."

"'Of this realm?'" the man repeated, pushing his dark-rimmed glasses up his nose.

"This realm of the world, my brother means," Loki clarified, giving Thor a not-entirely-subtle jab in the side with his elbow.

Thor winced slightly. "Indeed. That is what I meant."

"I could tell," said the man. "Are the two of you English or something?" He held out his hand for them to shake. "My name is James, by the way."

"Yes," Loki replied tersely. "Now about the clothing store." Niceties, he figured, were the best way to be convincing, but they didn't have time for that – their disguise would wear off before long.

"Ah, right! So sorry to keep you, sirs. I'm actually going to visit the nearest shop, so I can take you right there, if you'd like."

Loki looked James up and down. He had dark umber hair that fell in soft waves behind his glasses and over his deep brown eyes. He had skin the color of Yggdrasil's bark – a light, warm brown. He was young in Midgardian years and practically infantile in Asgardian years, about Loki's height, and rather thin and gawky. He looked like the sort who knew trivial facts about everything, and always had a book on hand.

He was fairly attractive, at least by Midgardian standards, and he looked innocent and harmless. But then, you never knew if you could trust Midgardians.

Loki turned to Thor. "What say you, brother?"

Thor, in turn, looked at James. "You might as well."

James smiled. "Right then. Follow me," he said, already starting off.

* * *

They arrived at the store and when they walked in, a small bell jingled overhead, alerting the clerk of their presence. When they entered, a round woman with jet black hair and bright blue eyes exclaimed in delight. "Well, if it isn't Mr. James Smith! What can I do you for?" Her accent was markedly different from James'.

"Good morning, Miss Kelly. I'm here to buy a new hat, but these two, Lucius and his brother…"

"Theodore."

" – Theodore, are staying in New York for a while and they're looking to buy some clothes."

"Well, any friends of James' are friends of mine. Take what you like – the changing rooms are back there." The woman apparently known as Miss Kelly nodded to the back at two doors labeled "men" and "women."

Loki could feel the magic wearing off, so he ignored the urge to correct Miss Kelly (he and James weren't "friends") and grabbed a random armful of clothes. He retreated to the men's dressing room and nodded for Thor to do the same.

Once inside, the spell wore off completely. He sighed, at least relieved that it hadn't done so a second sooner. He started to change into the clothes he had picked up.

Thor coughed rather uncomfortably. "Ahem. Are…are you just going to change here?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Relax, I'm not stripping naked. If it really bothers you that much, turn the other way." He tossed a bundle of clothes to his brother. "Speaking of – you might want to put these on. Can't have you walking around looking like royalty in this cursed realm."

"I actually don't think it's as bad as you make it out to be, brother." There was the sound of rustling clothing, which meant Thor must have been dressing, too.

Loki snorted. "Please. This place is so desperate, so pathetic, so dull…well, I fear I've run out of respectful adjectives."

"Those are the _respectful_ ones?" Thor scoffed and pulled on his boots. "Honestly, Loki. The humans seem nice enough, and you can still perform your magic here. The Midgardians are people, just like us. They may not have powers, but they more than make up for it in intellect and wit, and curiosity."

Loki shook his head. "We've spent_ maybe_ an hour here and you're already getting attached. That's just like you, Thor." He turned around to face his brother. "You really mustn't be so naïve, brother, especially being the eldest." And he walked out of the dressing room, grabbing a hat from the stand and placing it on his head.

When he came out, James, who was now also wearing a hat, gave him a slightly appraising look, then smiled. "I like it," he said. "The looks suits you."

_Perhaps by Midgardian standards_, Loki thought dryly. Thor came out of the room a moment later, and stood next to his younger brother. "How are we going to purchase these garments?" he whispered. "We don't have any Midgardian currency – we've not even seen it."

"Leave that to me." He and Thor got in the line and waited until James got behind them. Then Loki made a show of patting himself down and reaching in all his pockets. "Oh, dear. I fear I've misplaced my money. Please, James, step in front of me."

"Oh, I'll pay for it," James responded kindly, not even looking up from his book.

"No, no, I insist." The plan was to see what Midgardian currency looked like, at least in this part of the realm, and then try to summon some or replicate it so they could be on their way. The plan was _not_ for James to be nice to them.

"What are you doing?" whispered Thor. "Just let him pay for us."

"We're no charity case! At least, I'm not. I have the dignity to fend for myself, and James won't provide for us the whole time we're here – which won't be long, of course."

"Who's to say? It's faster, I'm sure, than _whatever_ it is that you're doing, and you won't waste energy with magic. Besides," Thor added, a small smirk tugging on his lips, "we've been here maybe an hour and you're already refusing the first real offer of help you get. That's just like you, Loki."

Loki cast a glare at his brother. Thor was only smart when he wanted to be. He turned back to James. "Fine. So long as it's not too much of a financial burden…"

"It's absolutely fine," said James, waving a dismissive hand. He leaned in, as if he was sharing some grand secret. "As a matter of fact, I've recently come into possession of more money than I'm quite sure I know what to do with. I don't really have much family, so…I'm happy to help out wherever I can."

_Gods, how hopeless._

James paid for his hat and Thor and Loki's suits, then turned to them. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No."

"Oh. Well then. Have a great day," James said, seemingly not thrown off by Loki's terse response.

"Actually - " Thor cut in just as James was walking out the door. James turned around.

Loki turned on Thor, a cross between fury and annoyance blazing in his eyes. "And what is it that we need now, _Theodore_?"

"Well, Lucius and I are searching for something here in – where are we?"

James laughed. "Manhattan, New York, circa 1899."

" – Manhattan, and we figure we'll need somewhere to stay. If you could direct us to the nearest inn, and also the nearest library, we would greatly appreciate it." Thor flashed that winning smile that everyone in Asgard seemed to love and Loki despised.

"No, _Theodore_, we already rented a room in an inn, if you recall," Loki said through clenched teeth.

"_Well, Lucius_, maybe it will be worth it to give a new inn a chance. Just because it's less glamorous doesn't mean it's worse quality."

"Actually, it's dirty, and there are these bothersome little creatures that seem to follow me everywhere, that for some reason you seem to like."

"That reason happens to be that you've judged them, hardly even knowing what they are!"

Loki opened his mouth to say something sharp and biting in response, but James cut him off. "_Oookay,_ well, obviously, this - " he gestured at Thor and Loki, " – is about more that just hotels. I don't want to intrude on your...personal affairs, so I'll be on my way now, sirs, but my home is always open to anyone, should you need it."

Loki turned to his older brother and cocked an eyebrow as if to ask, _Are you sure you know what you're getting into?_

Thor nodded determinedly and grinned at James. "Please."

Loki shrugged. "Very well. We'd like to stay."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Midgardian Magic! I love the Thor saga in the MCU, but I'm not sure I'm the best at writing Thor fanfiction, so I'm giving it another try. Updates will probably be sporadic, but I'll try to get a new chapter out ever ten or so days. If you liked this chapter, please leave a review! They're very helpful to me as a writer, and I very much appreciate them.**

**-mouse :)**


	2. exposed?

_Chapter Two: Exposed?_

_Word Count: 1,894_

"It isn't much, I know," said James as he let them into his house.

"It's very nice," Thor said, mostly out of politeness but partially because he did indeed think it was a pleasant house.

"Yes. Charming." Loki didn't bother to hide the derision in his tone.

"Thank you." If James noticed the annoyance, it didn't register in his voice or his expression. He gestured for them to go inside.

The house was a modest size, and books and paintings lined many of the walls. "Wow. I take it you like to read?"

James smiled and nodded. "I've got books on practically every subject."

"_Every_ subject?" Thor asked, glancing at Loki.

"Well, not every one, I suppose. But lots of them. Animals, plants, mythology – you name it. I've also got plenty of novels, if you're interested."

"You'll have to show us to your collection of plant-related books."

"Oh! Are you interested in botany?"

Thor looked at Loki. _Are we?_

"Yes, very interested," Loki said.

"Great, my sister is, too! She can tell you all about it."

As if on cue, a beautiful girl descended the steps and smiled at Thor and Loki. Her skin was maybe a shade darker than James', and her dark hair was up in a bun on top of her head. She had hazel eyes and was rounder than her brother. When she came down, she nodded at Thor and Loki.

"Theodore and Lucius, this is Molly. Molly, Theodore and Lucius."

She waved. "Hullo," she said.

"Greetings," Thor replied. Loki only nodded curtly.

James and Molly turned away for a moment in hushed conversation, and then turned back to them.

"Do the two of you want your own rooms, or do you want to share one?"

"Well, we don't want to be too intrusive - "

"Separate rooms, please," Loki interrupted.

"Okay, we'll show you where you'll be staying."

Molly looked at Thor and held out her hand, and it was a moment before he realized it she wanted him to take it. He did, and they went up the stairs together. "This is my room, but you can sleep here for as long as you need to. or as long as you like."

"But where shall_ you_ sleep?"

She shrugged. "James and I will share the guest room. It's smaller than our bedrooms, and besides, you are our guests."

"I would have been content with sharing a bedroom with my brother. I'm sorry for his rude behaviour."

"It's okay. He wasn't being that rude. And," she said with a small smile, "he _is_ very handsome, so I'm willing to let it slide this time."

"We don't hear that often," muttered Thor, smiling.

Molly didn't respond. She went to leave, and stopped at the door, turning around. "I noticed you and your brother didn't have many belongings with you when you arrived. James would probably let you borrow some of his clothing, should you ask him." She left the room.

When he came downstairs, he saw Loki step out of what Thor thought was the bathroom in a completely different outfit. He went and stood in front of James.

James hummed as he looked Loki up and down, and Thor had to stifle a laugh at how uncomfortable his little brother looked. "I was right, green is a _very_ flattering color on you," said James.

"Verily," Thor agreed, and James whipped around, noticing for the first time the Asgardian was there.

"Oh, Theodore! I didn't notice you were there!"

"Pretend like I'm not - this conversation is very interesting."

"It's not a conversation," said Loki. "James here _insisted_ on letting me borrow his clothes."

Molly spoke up from her place nearby. "Please excuse his altruism. I know it can be a bit…cloying at times. Some of his paintings are selling at last and he's been all too giddy about it."

James smiled sheepishly and waved a hand. "You can't blame me, can you? I've been trying to get these to sell for years, and now they are!"

"Congratulations," Loki said dryly.

* * *

"Are you not hungry, Lucius?"

Loki looked up and looked around the table, as if for the first time realizing that they were gathered to eat dinner. He plastered on a fake smile. "Oh, no, it isn't that. It's just that your book on botany is truly fascinating."

While Thor suspected Loki'ssmile wasn't entirely genuine, there was some semblance of sincerity in his younger brother's voice.

"Really?" asked James. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Now at least Molly will have someone to talk about it with. I've never been into that sort of thing."

Molly smiled at Loki, who (rather awkwardly) returned the smile and resumed reading.

"Well, I, for one, was starving, and this supper is delicious. I had no idea New York-ian food could as flavorful as…English food."

James laughed, and signed to Molly, who laughed as well. "Yeah, New York's got some interesting cuisine compared to England, I'm sure."

"James," said Loki suddenly, "do you know anything about Amanita Muscaria?"

"Amanita Muscaria?" James echoed, while Thor shot his brother a warning glance.

"Lucius, are you sure you want to share your _interest_ in this plant with James and Molly? You really shouldn't bother them about it - " Thor dropped his voice to a whisper here " – especially lest they find out your _secret reason _for wanting to research it."

"Please," Loki said. "to them, the Norse gods are mere myths. Fabrications. Fiction. They're chimerical and the Midgardians would have no reason to believe otherwise."

Thor shrugged. "There's always a possibility." He decided to leave it alone. If Loki wanted to blow their cover and contribute to Frigga's death, then so be it. At least they'd have something interesting to tell father, and there was no way Thor could be at fault. Loki would get in trouble like he always did, because he always seemed to be throwing himself into cataclysmic happenings.

Thor looked back up and saw Molly looking thoughtful. "Amanita Muscaria isn't a plant."

"It isn't?" asked Thor. Loki looked like he was about to choke on his soup.

"No," Molly shook her head, "it's a fungus. A mushroom."

"But then father..."

"What?" James looked genuinely concerned, like he would march up to Asgard (somehow) and tell Odin off himself.

Thor shook his head quickly. "Never mind that. Just – where can we find this mushroom?"

Molly replied, "They're usually in deciduous forests. New York is a pretty big city, so it might take a little bit of walking to find them, but - "

"When can you take us?" asked Loki.

"_If_ you can take us," Thor added.

James looked between Molly, Loki, and Thor. "Er, I suppose...so long as Molly wants to come."

"We can leave tomorrow in late morning!"

"Thank you," Loki said curtly and went back to looking down and quietly drinking his soup.

Thor nodded. What had they gotten into now?

* * *

"You're not like us, are you?"

Thor flinched at the sudden sound of Molly's voice from beneath the doorframe.

Noting this, Molly smiled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's quite alright," Thor mumbled. He paused. "How do you mean I'm 'not like you?'"

"I don't think you're really from England. I think that's a cover."

"For what? Why would you think that?"

"The way you speak and act. Like you know nothing about the world. Our world, at least. And you could be mental, but I can tell your brother, in addition to being handsome, is intelligent, so that wouldn't make sense."

"Am I not equally as intelligent and attractive?"

Molly didn't answer and continued on. "I don't know where you are from or why you are here, but I know you're not who you say you are. So…who _are_ you?" Molly's tone was gentle; more curious than menacing.

"Who am I? I am, uh…" Thor was panicking. He never did well under pressure. No one in the royal family did, except for Mother.

_Mother_.

Would telling Molly help him get the plant – or fungus – faster? Could he save Mother in less time? "I - " Thor cut himself off as he saw Loki at the door. "Lucius! Thank the norns, I thought -"

Loki scowled. "Save it. James has already figured us out and I've figured Father out, too."

"How do you mean, 'figure us out?' There's nothing to – "

"I know you're Thor and Loki Odinson." James sounded almost embarrassed. "I have a few books on Norse mythology, and there were some things that were just dead giveaways."

"Dead giveaways? Like what?" asked Thor, submitting to the idea that perhaps they'd been found out.

"Your brother's eyes, for one. They're the greenest green I've ever seen in my life. And the way you speak, the things you say. I know you think I can't hear you when you're muttering and whispering about the nine realms and the Midgardians, but…I'm not deaf."

"Yes, well," said Loki, a chagrined blush spreading across his face, "in our defense, as a population, you do tend to be generally clueless."

"I'm not going to disagree with you," said James, holding up his hands. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

Molly, who looked like she was still recovering from the shock, stood up. "Thor and Loki. You two are Thor and Loki and I'm taking you into the forest tomorrow!" She looked at Loki. "Loki the handsome and mischievous. Are you really a shapeshifter?"

"I am, yes."

"Can you change into someone else for me now?"

"I can, but I won't."

"_Ooookay_." Molly now turned to Thor. "Thor, the brave and strong. How strong are you?"

Thor shrugged. "As strong as I need to be, I suppose."

"Wow." Molly laughed in disbelief. "That is so profound."

"It's really not," James said quietly. "_Anyhow_, Molly's always been more into that stuff than I have. Actually, I'm surprised she didn't figure it out sooner. That is to say, if she gets to be a little…_much_ on this trip, or any time before then, _please_ don't be afraid to tell her. She'll go on for _hours_ if not kept in check."

"An object in motion stays in motion." Molly shrugged, grinning.

"Oh, Loki," said Thor (it still felt odd to be saying "Loki" out loud in front of Midgardians), "you said you've figured Father out. What exactly _did_ you figure out?"

"They have plenty of Amanita Muscaria on Asgard. And even if they didn't, they don't need it anyway. Odin doesn't want the plant from us. He wants to be _rid_ of us, for the time being, at least."

"You, I understand, but why me?" Thor asked.

_"Hey!"_

"So what do we do?" Thor asked, getting to his feet.

Molly and James looked eagerly back and forth between Thor and his brother.

"Well," Loki said, "if it's mushroom Odin wants, it'll be mushroom Odin gets. We go get the fungus like originally intended."

"Okay…?"

"Don't look so worried, brother. I have a plan."

Thor groaned. "I hate it when you say that."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait and short chapter! When I said I'd try to update every ten days, I din't realize how busy my schedule was going to get...this chapter was a little exposition-y, BUT hopefully things will begin to pick up in the next one. Thank you for your patience, and I'd really appreciate a review if you could leave one!**

**-mouse :)**


	3. the best ships are friendships

_Chapter Three: The Best Ships are Friendships_

_Word Count: 2,094_

Four Years Earlier.

"Take care of Molly, will you?"

"Of course, Mama." James held his mother's hand in his, and almost wept at how small and frail it looked. This was only a shell of the strong woman he knew and loved.

"Good. Promise me that you will go after whatever you want, no matter who tries to oppose you."

"Well, I - "

"Promise me."

James nodded. "I promise." Tears pooled in his eyes.

"You are nearly twenty-one. Almost an adult. So act like one."

"But Mama, that's almost two whole years!"

"You, James, are closer to being an adult than you are not. Don't let anyone treat you like a child."

"I'm only nineteen...!"

"But your _mind_ is older. Don't listen to people who discourage you, not even adults, because you are smarter and kinder and more mature than all of them." Her body was seized by a paroxysm of coughing, and James cried at her side.

"James, trust me. You are going to -" here, she coughed again, " - to do great things." She smiled weakly.

"Why do you have to go?"

She shrugged. "It is my time. Now, leave me. I would like to talk to Molly."

James nodded and made to leave. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, my son."

In the hallway, James saw Molly pacing quickly back and forth with a tearstained face. "Mama wants to talk to you."

The siblings shared an expression of tacit grief, and then Molly walked inside.

* * *

Present Day.

"I hope you're able to save your mom," James said as they walked through the forest, leaves crunching underfoot. "But I thought Asgardians couldn't die?"

"A common misperception on the part of Midgardians," Loki sighed. "When you, with your little human minds, couldn't figure out how we were alive for generations and you weren't, you chalked it up to immortality. Since then, no one bothered to correct it. So we _can_ die – we just take a lot longer. Unless, of course, as in the _supposed_ case of my mother, we're killed."

"You really don't believe that she's dying?"

"Why would I? I have no reason to. Logically, there's no way that any potion would work that quickly against_ Frigga._ And if she'd really been poisoned, Father would be sending guards and soldiers after the person who poisoned her, not sending his sons down to some hopeless realm for mushrooms that wouldn't do a _thing_ against magic."

"Loki isn't too trusting of anyone or anything," added Thor, "especially if it's something he doesn't want to believe." He smirked. "He _does_ love Mother, even if he refuses to say it aloud."

"Shut up," Loki muttered.

"I see some over there!" exclaimed Molly suddenly, pointing into the distance and then running off.

"Molly, wait up - !" James jogged to catch up to her, and stopped short when he saw the ring of red and white polka-dotted mushrooms before him.

Molly was crouched down, observing the fungi. "These are hallucinogenic if humans ingest them. I don't know what will happen to Asgardians..."

"I doubt it would have as strong an effect," said Loki, "but I'm not keen to find out."

"Why ever not, brother? Have you no courage? If it's really as weak as you say, we should be fine."

"I didn't say it was weak, I said it wouldn't be as str –"

But Thor had already plucked a mushroom from the ground and was raising it to his mouth.

"Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," James added, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, that might not be the best idea," agreed Molly.

Thor lowered the mushroom.

"So you're going to listen to some random Midgardians over your own brother?"

"Molly and James are not 'random' - they've been gracious enough to open their home to us, and they know more about this realm than you do. If they advise against something, I won't do it."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Well. Are you going to get your mushrooms or not?" He turned to James. "Since you're apparently so knowledgeable, do you know where there are any small bodies of water? Preferably in proximity to our current location?"

"Actually, Molly might be better inclined to answer that question," he said quietly, so Loki raised an eyebrow at Molly.

Why was James even on this trip anyway? He provided nothing – not navigational skills, not knowledge on fly agaric, not even comic relief. Nothing. Suddenly, the group was going in a different direction, and James found himself lagging behind. Thor and Molly were engaged in an animated conversation, Loki looked like his mind was elsewhere, and James was _desperately_ wishing he'd brought one of his books along.

Later, at the sight of the beautiful Queen Frigga on a sickbed, pale and looking near lifeless, James' heart ached. He would do anything to have his own mother back, and now Loki and Thor had a chance to save theirs and they didn't even believe there was anything to save? He shared a pained glance with Molly, who looked about ready to cry.

Somehow, Loki had found a way to make Odin visible in the surface of the water – like a phone call where both parties could see each other. Right now, they were in the middle of a heated discussion.

"I want to speak with Heimdall!" demanded Loki. "Or at least show me Mother."

"Your mother is sick," said Odin in an even voice. "I'm afraid your own disbelief will not cure her enough for her to come here."

"Then bring the basin to her! It's not that hard – honestly, Father, how imbecilic do you think I am?"

"Very, if you think it's appropriate for you to speak to me in that tone."

"Here's your 'plant,' Father!" Loki said, obviously frustrated, and held up the mushrooms. "If Mother is truly sick, as you say, and this matter is as urgent as you've made it out to be, open the bifrost and let us come up!"

Nothing happened. And whatever Odin did next did _not_ make Loki happy, because he shouted something unintelligible and kicked at the water.

"Blast! I know he's lying about something!" Loki threw the mushrooms at Thor, who was pacing about (and who had flinched a bit every time Loki or Odin raised his voice) and stormed off.

"Loki, wait!" called James. "Where are you going?" Before he knew it, he was following the dark-haired prince deeper into the forest, realizing that maybe he was on this journey for a reason after all.

* * *

James got the sense that Loki was trying to get rid of him by ignoring him and simply continuing on through the trees.

_Joke's on you; I don't even know my way back now._

At last, Loki sat down against a particularly tall tree and sighed.

James felt awkward sitting as well, so he stayed standing.

"What are you doing?"

"Hm?"

"Why have you followed me? The matters I'm involved in do not concern you."

"They do now. When you and Thor agreed to stay with Molly and me, your business became my business. If that makes any sense."

"How profound. You must educate me someday on the art of prose."

"Ha ha. The sarcasm was not lost on me, _your highness._"

Loki gave James a sidelong look. "Sorry."

James sat down. "No need to apologize. I was kidding, sort of. What I meant was, it's kinda hard to keep secrets from people when you live in the same house. And you haven't exactly been secretive about your distaste for your father, either."

"Sometimes I wonder if he even _is_ my father. Thor and I are so different, and Odin seems to have such antipathy toward _me_, and only me. I imagine he thinks that the tricks I play are going to turn me into some criminal who'd ravage cities and kill innocent people and try to take over the world."

_How do you respond to something like that?_

"Which, of course, I'd never do," Loki added.

"I figured."

"But that still doesn't answer my question. Why did you follow me? There's no benefit in this situation for either of us."

James shrugged, suddenly embarrassed. "I thought you might use some cheering up."

"Well, I'm not sad, so you thought wrong. Just... frustrated."

"Frustration isn't exactly the cheeriest of emotions."

"I'm used to doing things alone." Loki muttered something about no one ever helping him anyway and turned away.

"Maybe that ought to change. Now's your chance to meet some people, make some friends. And I think your brother wants to help, too."

"Thor has good intentions, I suppose, but he can be more than a bit...clueless."

"Then teach him how not to be. Molly says you're very clever, as well as very handsome..."

"I'm sorry, what?"

James smiled. "Uh, I think Molly might have a slight crush on you."

Loki scoffed, though James could see him blushing slightly. "If she likes me, she should see the others on Asgard. I'm the _weaselly_ one of the bunch."

"Oh, well, I'm sure Molly would disagree. But anyway. Thor seems to be much fonder of Odin than you are."

"Odin is much fonder of Thor than he is of me. Odin is much fonder of _anyone_ than he is of me. And I would thank you not to ask any more questions about my father or myself."

"Okay. I won't say anything more."

After a while of sitting in strangely comfortable silence, James got up to go, but Loki said, "Wait."

He got up, too. "What about you? You know about Thor and me, I suppose. But I know nothing of you. What are your parents like? Friends? Lovers? Enemies?"

_"Enemies?"_

Loki shrugged. "Most people on Asgard have them. I figured Midgardians would be no different."

"They are. _Very_ different, in fact. I have no enemies."

They started walking out of the forest at a much pleasanter pace than they had gone into it. "What about your family?"

"You've met Molly…my dad walked out when I was fifteen after Mama found out he had wives aside from her."

"Wives, _plural?_"

"Unfortunately. Before my mom could even process it entirely, he ran away and never came back."

"Wow. If something like that happened on Asgard, the consequences would be much graver. We're very big on fidelity. What about your mother?"

"She actually died a few years ago."

"My apologies. I…didn't know."

"It's okay. It's not like it was your fault. As for friends and lovers, I never had many of either. I was always just the weird kid who read books and knew the answers to too many questions. I mean, Molly's my friend, and Miss Kelly is kind of my friend and…" He thought. "That's about it. Are we friends?"

"Are we friends? 'We' as in you and me?"

"Well, yeah."

Loki didn't answer.

"You know what? I'm sorry, just…forget I asked," said James, blushing furiously.

_This is why you have no friends!_

He was too presumptuous. That was the problem. If he would just stick with what he knew for certain, situations like this wouldn't happen. "And lovers. I never had many of those either. Once when I was ten a girl told me she had a crush on me…I thought she was joking so I laughed, and then she started crying, and then we never spoke again. That's about the extent of my romantic experience."

"Oh, my."

James nodded.

"Thor would probably have the opposite problem. Everyone in Asgard wants to be with _him_, I'd imagine. And why wouldn't they? He's handsome, strong, and the crown prince of Asgard."

"I can see how that might be a problem. For you, at least."

Before Loki had a chance to respond, James realized they'd arrived back at the patch of fly agaric.

"Oh, hello, James. Loki. Pleased to see you've decided to join us again," said Molly.

"Brother! James!" Thor turned around to look at them with a wide smile on his face. "Molly tells magnificent stories, did you know? And she knows more about the nine realms than I would have ever imagined she could." He paused. "No offense."

"None taken," Molly replied. "Compared to you, humans aren't exactly the brightest.

"That's true."

"You're not supposed to agree with that, you know," said James, grinning. "You're supposed to say, 'humans aren't _that_ stupid,' and then compare them to some other, dumber race."

"Oh, was I?" Loki grinned as well. "Humans aren't _that_ stupid. At least they're not as dumb as humans."

"Hey!"

Everyone laughed at that, even Thor.

James smiled, even as he lagged behind once again when they all set off. He smiled because he knew he'd just made two new friends. And he had a feeling they knew it, too.


	4. war and peace

_Chapter Four: War and Peace_

_Word Count: 2,450_

"So the question is not, 'Is Odin lying?', the question is, 'What is Odin lying about and why?'" Thor said, looking deeply troubled. "Our own father, the Allfather, shouldn't have to lie to his own sons, right?"

"Maybe the realm is planning a surprise party?" Molly piped in rather unhelpfully from her spot next to Thor on her bed. She was trying to offer suggestions, wanting to feel useful, but she had no idea what was going on, so she just added jokes to the conversation every now and then. "I'm sorry. That's probably not the case. But think about it. What do you think his reasoning is?"

"I say we go up there and find out." Thor said.

Loki rolled his eyes. "If he lied to us now, what makes you think he won't when we get up there? If we get up there," he clarified, "because Odin won't even let Heimdall open the bifrost."

"It'll be harder for him to deny or skirt around our questions if we're right in front of him."

"You'd be surprised," muttered Loki.

"Besides," continued Thor, smirking, "he'll want to save face in front of all his beloved subjects, won't he? The king of Asgard is honest and benevolent. He'd never lie to anyone, much less his own sons, would he? All we need to do is get him into a position where it's impossible to lie."

Loki looked up at his brother. "Actually...that could work if we do it right." Then he looked almost surprised. "How did _you_ come up with that?"

"I learned from the best," he said, gesturing to Loki.

"I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a compliment or an insult."

"Both?"

"Can you take us with you?" asked Molly, before she even realized she was asking. "It's only been about a day, but life's already going to be so dull without you!"

"Molly," James said, "they are literal gods. Of course life is going to be dull without them, but they have their own matters to attend to, as I'm sure you can see."

Molly pouted. She hated it when James was right. She was going to miss the brothers. (Thor more so than Loki, but they didn't need to know that.)

She nodded, ready to accept it, until Thor said, "I don't see why not."

"What do you mean you don't see why not? There are a _plethora_ of reasons 'why not!' First of all, this is Father we're talking about. He definitely has a bone to pick with most humans. And they know nothing of Asgardians and our customs."

"Then we teach them. And you're magic, can't you just glamour them some traditional Asgardian garments?"

"It's not quite as simple as you make it seem, brother. When we first came here, I could hardly glamour two people for an hour. I've never even tried four people, and it won't last long enough for us to get by Father scot-free."

"You don't know that. Besides, Midgardian wear was unfamiliar. You know Asgardian clothing well. We should at least try."

"Why do you want to take them so badly anyway?"

Thor glanced at Molly, and then back at Loki. "They can help our case. And they've already proven to be perceptive – perhaps they can help us figure some things out."

Molly smiled hopefully. "Please? I want to help you."

Loki looked at her, then at James for a long moment. He looked back at Thor. "We can take them."

After a short study of Asgardian culture and customs, Loki glamoured them all into some outfits. Then, after going outside and making sure no one was around to see them, he called to Heimdall to open the bifrost. At first, nothing happened. Then there was a loud sound Molly couldn't quite name, and a shining vertical rainbow appeared before them. Everyone looked at everyone else, and they stepped in together. They got sucked up instantly.

* * *

"That was exhilarating!" Molly exclaimed as they emerged in a large, mostly golden room.

"I think I'm going to be sick," said James quietly.

"Is it like that every time? It's incredible!"

"I'm glad you think so, because it may not be very long until you're on it again." Loki brushed invisible dirt off his clothing and approached a man Molly hadn't initially noticed.

"Thank you, Heimdall."

So _this_ is the famous Heimdall, she thought. His eyes were a beautiful yellow-amber color, and they stood out against his dark skin and dark hair. As for the rest of him, he was strikingly handsome – Molly was beginning to get the sense that all Asgardian men were.

Heimdall remained wordless and didn't respond to Loki's thanks.

Thor approached the guards standing by the door. Gesturing to Molly and James, he said, "Escort our guests to the spare rooms and get them some clothes and food at once. Thank you."

The guards nodded and Molly and James followed them down a long, regal corridor with lots of doors on either wall. After a while of wordless and introspective walking, the guards stopped in front of two doors.

"These are our rooms…?"

One guard nodded and said, "The maids will be over shortly with your garments. Would you like us to fetch you anything else?"

Molly looked at James as if to say, _Do you want anything?_ James shrugged. "No, thank you. The clothes will be…sufficient," she said, trying to sound like she belonged there.

The guards nodded again and started off.

Molly walked into her room and found it to be bigger than any room she'd ever been able to call her own in her entire life. The walls, like those of the house she shared with James, were lined with bookshelves, but the shelves themselves weren't lined with books. Well, not entirely. Only the top shelves had books on them. Aside from that, some were empty, some had pictures of the royal family – a younger Loki and Thor, alongside Odin and Frigga. If their expressions were any indications of their personalities back then, they really hadn't changed much. And then there were models of things in what appeared to be solid gold. A tree with many roots – Yggdrasil, perhaps? And something that looked like a mini crown of Surtur – an artifact that was supposed to bring about the end of Asgard. _Why might they have a model of this in their guest rooms?_ Molly wondered. She sat on the bed and found it was incredibly soft. If these were just the guest rooms, how were the princes living?

Her musings were interrupted by a knock at the door, even though she hadn't even closed it all the way. "Uh, come in!"

Two young women she assumed were servants stepped into the room carrying folded clothing and a tray of food, respectively. They were beautiful, and now Molly figured that all the people on Asgard, not just the men, were immensely attractive. "Hello, ma'am," one of them said cheerfully. "We've been instructed by the prince Thor himself to bring you this! He said red would look good on you. And Dalla here brought you some lunch," the first servant said, nodding at the woman behind her.

"Oh," said Molly. "Thank you."

The woman who Molly didn't know the name of handed her the clothes, and Dalla set down the steaming food on the dresser. Shortly after the servants left, there was another knock. "Come in."

James walked in wearing an entirely different outfit. It was similar to the clothes Thor and Loki wore, and to the one he'd been glamoured into. Long, flowing fabric, black with accents of teal. Frankly, he looked good in it. "I like your outfit! Did Thor request that for you, too?"

"No, no, Loki apparently. He thought I might like it."

"Well, do you?"

James smiled. "Yeah, actually, I do."

"I figured. And how's the food?"

"Oh, the food is delicious! We're living like kings here, Molly! How does Odin live? Because this is incredible."

"Wow, you really liked the food, huh?"

James laughed. "Well, if you tried it, you'd know why."

"Do you think we should go find the princes?"

"In this palace?" James said, removing his glasses to clean them. "It'd probably take hours to find them."

There was another knock.

"Come in," the siblings said in unison.

And in walked Thor and Loki, as if summoned. "Hello, Earth friends!" Thor said jovially as he approached Molly. "How are you adjusting? Do you like it here so far?"

They both nodded and said words of affirmation.

"Great. Now, Molly, how would you feel about being my wife?"

Molly felt her face get hot. "What?"

"I told you there was a better way to phrase that, brother," Loki mumbled.

"Well, we need to get you in front of Father in public, but we need to convince him that you're here for a reason other than to expose him. And he is probably going to be more willing to listen to you if he feels we are romantically involved."

"Couldn't you just say we're dating?"

"I could, but marriage or even just engagement is a much bigger matter here than it is on Midgard. It was the first option I can think of."

"As flattered as I am," Molly began, "I'm not sure I'd make a very believable fiancée. Is there any other excuse you can come up with?"

"You could just pretend to be dating, like Molly suggested initially. Or imply that you plan to ask for her hand in the future. I'm not sure either of you are ready to pretend to be engaged yet," Loki said. "Although, I wonder why it is that engagement was the first thing your mind jumped to regarding Molly. Just an idea, I assume?" He smirked. "Not rooted in any actual emotions?"

Molly knew exactly what Loki was getting at – and she, quite honestly, hoped it was true. Thor was the dream man of everyone on Earth. What if he liked her?

Thor turned his face away from Molly and mumbled something to Loki, whose face went red. Loki sighed. "Well. If you all are done chatting, we should let Molly get dressed for whatever it is you decide she's going to be masquerading as." He nodded at the two of them and walked out the door.

Thor left without another word.

"Well, Molly," said James, "it would appear you have a rather important decision to make."

* * *

"Father, I would like to introduce you to Miss Molly… Englishdottir…of Vanaheim. She's resided here on Asgard for the greater part of two thousand years, and I've decided recently to start courting her."

_Englishdottir? That's the best he can come up with?_

Odin looked her up and down with a gaze of scrutiny, though his expression was otherwise unreadable. "I see. I assume she's heard the news about the queen?"

Molly glanced at Thor, who nodded slightly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Loki doing something with his hands behind his back – it looked like magic of some sort, but she couldn't be sure. She'd have to ask him about that later. Remembering she had a question to answer, she nodded slowly. "Indeed. I'm sure the rest of the kingdom felt as calamitous as I when they heard the news…truly, I send my best wishes for a swift recovery on the part of the queen, for the sake of your family and your people." _That was too much,_ she thought.

"Thank you," said Odin. "Molly isn't the kind of name one would usually hear on Vanaheim. Does it have a particularly special meaning?"

Molly thought hard. She knew the meanings of her name, why couldn't she remember them? "Indeed, your majesty. It means 'of the sea' in an old Midgardian tongue."

Odin nodded and turned to James and Loki. "And who is this? I assume you're not courting my other son?"

James shook his head fervently and took the slightest step back, obviously embarrassed. "N-no, your majesty. I'm just – I'm Molly's brother. We just came along with Thor and Molly."

"I have a question for you, Father," said Loki. "It was part of the reason I came."

"What is it, Loki?"

"Pray tell, why _did_ you let Heimdall open the bifrost for us? You were so adamant only yesterday, but all of the sudden we're just allowed to come back up." Molly glanced round at the subjects and servants pretending not to listen and hoped sincerely that the brothers' plan would work. "I know Heimdall is loyal to you and wouldn't let us up without your permission, not to mention your lack of surprise or disdain at seeing us here." Loki took a step forward and lowered his voice. "Please do not lie to us, Father. Not with all these people watching. Imagine their reactions if they were to find out the truth."

Odin's expression hardened. "Very well. I've allowed you back here because I know there is nothing you can do."

"About what?" asked Thor anxiously. "Is Mother's condition worsening?"

"Her condition remains…stagnant. We are working things out right now and only trying to keep her comfortable and at peace. All we can do now is hope for the best and assume our efforts aren't in vain."

Loki narrowed his eyes, but said nothing further.

The people pretending not to listen were now buzzing amongst themselves, eagerly starting to formulate their own rumours and theories about the queen.

"Are we dismissed, Father?" asked Thor after a moment of silence.

"You are."

Thor, Loki, and James all bowed, while Molly curtsied, and then they all headed back in the direction of James' room.

Loki shut the door behind them and immediately started pacing. "That wasn't very clear at all. Father is still lying, but…he's trying to tell us something as well. Away from the prying eyes of the people."

"Then why didn't he just take you somewhere private to discuss it?" asked Molly.

"He knows that his subjects will stop at nothing to have something to gossip about." He rolled his eyes. "They like to come up with conspiracies that are hardly plausible and then act as though they aren't discussing them behind our backs."

"What do you think Father was hinting at then?" Thor asked, concerned.

"The way he was talking about Mother…somehow, it didn't sound like he was talking about a person. It sounded more like…" He froze suddenly, his eyes widening. What little color ther was in his face had drained out.

"Like what?"

When Loki spoke again, it was more of a whisper, the fear evident in his voice. "Like he was talking about war."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'd greatly appreciate if you could leave a review!****-mouse :)**


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